Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $914 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Guadalajara versus $1,488 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Guadalajara versus $2,062 in Colima.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 27% more expensive than Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Colima 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 MX$181

$6.24 MX$108

67.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 MX$672

$31.19 MX$540

24.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$8.01 MX$139

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MX$55.1

$2.14 MX$36.95

49.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.95

$0.81 MX$14.04

70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.12

$0.54 MX$9.39

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.38

$1.70 MX$29.47

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.3

$2.84 MX$49.18

36.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.25

$1.32 MX$22.90

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.76

$2.52 MX$43.58

5.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.80

$1.32 MX$22.87

25.76%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.44

$2.29 MX$39.57

9.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 MX$167

$5.91 MX$102

62.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$7.87 MX$136

-2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.72 MX$168

6.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.77

$2.86 MX$49.39

-7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.16

$1.35 MX$23.35

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.20

$1.49 MX$25.72

20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.06

$2.22 MX$38.41

-29.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.12

$1.76 MX$30.52

2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.73

$2.32 MX$40.13

-13.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$23.12

$1.33 MX$23.01

0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.61

$1.09 MX$18.83

-0.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$76.0

$3.51 MX$60.8

25.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$194

$6.78 MX$117

65.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.00

$1.63 MX$28.13

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$55.8

$1.94 MX$33.52

65.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.92

$0.65 MX$11.32

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.91 MX$466

$19.15 MX$331

40.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$46.86

$2.36 MX$40.90

14.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.58

$1.53 MX$26.55

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$202

$8.43 MX$146

38.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.33 MX$22.98

-0.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.2K MX$418.2K

$22.4K MX$387.3K

7.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.7K MX$409.6K

$21.6K MX$372.9K

9.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$31.32 MX$542

$62.6 MX$1,082

-49.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.53 MX$424

$19.75 MX$342

24.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 MX$476

$30.68 MX$531

-10.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$571

$34.00 MX$588

-2.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 MX$338

$20.99 MX$363

-6.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MX$87.1

$4.58 MX$79.3

9.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$187 MX$3,228

$142 MX$2,449

31.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,425 MX$111.1K

$2,404 MX$41.6K

167.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 MX$860

$46.41 MX$803

7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$878

$28.23 MX$488

79.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 MX$1,703

$84.6 MX$1,464

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,572

$99.2 MX$1,715

-8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$509 MX$8,798

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,576

$247 MX$4,274

77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 MX$23.4K

$333 MX$5,759

306.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 MX$14.6K

$536 MX$9,265

57.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 MX$34.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.8K

$300 MX$5,186

165.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.07

3.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Last update for Colima: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Guadalajara and $509 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $31.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $232 per month, with Colima cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Guadalajara vs Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara and Colima differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,157 vs $914 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Guadalajara pays 166% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $706 in Guadalajara versus $509 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 41% less than in Guadalajara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $187 in Guadalajara versus $142 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Colima versus $1,157 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Guadalajara and Colima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.